Livestream Calendar opens it's doors

Currently the only way to have liveshows for musicians goes over the route of the World Wide Web. In the course of the recent days I got some info for upcoming shows I'd like to hand further to you.

Most of the performances are offered for free. If you can somehow support the musicians and / or organizers please do so with handing some bucks through the donation channels mentioned on the event pages.

Upcoming shows

17.7.2020 22h CEST Victoria K. (Symphonic Metal), free
https://www.twitch.t0v/rockshotsrecords

18.07.2020 Bang your head Open Air Online Special. Start time 16h CEST, free
Music clips, full shows, talks, behind the scene material from past years and more.
www.youtube.com/user/byhfestival

18.07.2020 Dance Gavin Dance (Post Hardcore), paid
https://www.dancegavindance.live/

18.07.2020 18:30-23:30 GMT Wolf Jaw, Hollowstar, Black Tree Vultures and False Hearts (Rock), £12.50 per Ticket
Live-Performances and Interviews and interactive Q&A sessions. The event will be hosted by Pete K Mally and Natalie Asteria.
https://www.wegottickets.com/event/502115

If you have info on upcoming shows please don't hesitate and send them my way. 

You may also leave a comment below or send stuff with a message through the Facebook page for the Heavy Metal Underdogs blog.

Past shows

Jupiter Hollow (Prog Metal), free
29.06.2020 (8:00 pm - EST)
30.06.2020 (8:00 pm - EST)
01.07.2020 (6:00 pm - EST)*
02.07.2020 (8:00 pm - EST)
* (Show on Canada Day will only be 50-60 mins)
Facebook.com/JupiterHollowOfficial 
IInstagram.com/jupiterhollow_

Candlemass (Doom Metal), paid
03.07.2020 20-22h CEST
https://blackbox.solidtango.com/live/candelmass-live-from-studio-grondahl?utm_source=Press+News&utm_campaign=1cb52f86ef-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_05_24_09_58_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7e4e555b47-1cb52f86ef-26346391

Monte Luna (Doom), free
July 3rd at 6:30 pm PDT
https://youtu.be/F404rOYGJ_A

03. & 04.07.2020 Lost Horizon - Festival, free
feat. Tallah (Nu Core Metallers with Max Portnoy on drums)
https://www.losthorizonfestival.com

The logo of the Lost Hoizon Festival

04.07.2020 Anvil (Thrash), paid
The event will begin at the following times: Saturday, July 4th at 5pm (EST), 10pm (UK), 11pm (CET) and Sunday, July 5th for 6am (JAP), 7am (AUS).
https://thepointofsale.com/tickets/d7p200704001

Until July 14th there's a chance to see the show (again) if you missed it out or want to watch it a second time (it's still a paid stream).
https://thepointofsale.com/tickets/abs200707001

04.07.2020 Space Of Variations (Modern Metal),
8:00pm Kyiv time/7:00pm CET, free
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAcsDTlPlUZmBBcdpqRRMCA

09.07.2020 Jinjer (Modern Metal), concert recording, free
www.knotfest.com

10.07.2020 Trivium (Modern Metal), paid, 20h CET
http://live.trivium.org

11.07.2020 Leatherjacks (Rock), free 06:00-09:00 UTC-03
https://www.indiestarradio.com/

11.07.2020 Magistarium (Power Metal), free, 20h CET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyBR46IB-zQ

EP Review: Phil Stiles - The Anchorite (Electronic Ambient Rock, 2020)

Some may think that electronics and effects are not for people like me. But I like the atmospheric elements these stuff can add to the music. The new output of Phil Stiles is a good example for how good these pieces of music can fly through the notes of (partly) heavier music.

Cover Photo by Phil Stiles, Layout and Design Jola Stiles.

"The Anchorite" feels like a dark and atmospheric soundtrack to a dystopian reality. Throughout most of the duration of this EP tasty guitar compositions can be heard. They easily find it's way into my ears and let me drift apart into a isolated society. This is simply good music that touches the soul.

It's the simpleness of the songs that grab's me. In contrast to many of today's bands Phil Stiles concentrated on the main theme of the song and works it out throughout each track's duration. It feels as if each song evolves over time.

Sadly the start is a bit complex. "A Nation's Trust" is a rough and hard to grab song. I recommend starting with the first single "A Slide Into Depravity". It has a bit more of sound thickness inside that enriches the music's message.

Same goes for the excellent "Antipathy" - a riff hacking ride backed by a electronic drum pattern. Great - finally someone dares to go a fresh and different way these days by using the snare a unusual way.

Cold elements also find it's way through the mentioned effects and electronic gimmicks into the four tunes plus the intro of the offering. They point to a society being in chaos. "Critical thinking" perfectly matches that in music form. With it's nearly robotic rhythm pattern topped with riff arrangements floating through the song it gives this "Lost World" flair to me.

Make sure to get the limited tape from Bandcamp. It has a impressive bonus track that's more intensive than the previous five numbers. This song goes beneath the skin more than ever before and is not available for streaming. The silver sparkle cassette tape only costs few more than the download of the song package.

Finally keep in touch with Phil Stiles through Facebook or Twitter or have a look on the homepage from time to time.

Static-X distress the soul with new single "All these years"

In a time when stress takes so much of us it is more urgent than ever to put
something against these feelings. Something that lifts you back up again.
Something that makes the soul shine.

The new Static-X Single "All these years" does that for me. It has this
calming and coming back down to earth feeling in the verses. The heavier and aggressive side comes back in when the refrain takes it's place.

It's the latest preview to the upcoming output "Project Regeneration Vol. 1"
which has been postponed to be released on July 10th 2020.

It's currently up for pre-order digitally through Apple Music, Amazon or in limited physical formats such as marbled vinyl or signed CDs. The coverart has been updated since my last post about the band being victim of thiefs robbing their equipment.

The new cover fits better to the music of the band in my ears.

PROJECT REGENERATION Volume 1 features 12 brand new STATIC-X tracks, containing many of the final vocal performances and musical compositions of Wayne Static along with the original Wisconsin Death Trip lineup of bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay, and guitarist Koichi Fukuda. Both volumes are being worked on by longtime STATIC-X producer Ulrich Wild.

Track List:
1. Regeneration
2.Hollow (Project Regeneration)
3. Worth Dyin For
4. Terminator Oscillator
5.All These Years
6. Accelerate
7. Bring You Down (Project Regeneration)
8. My Destruction
9. Something of My Own (Project Regeneration)
10. Otsego Placebo
11. Follow
12. Dead Souls

Album Review: Witnesses - Doom II (Progressive Doom, 2020)

Hardly any Doom Metal release touches me much these days. It's not that I dislike it. It's simply as if it feels like anything has been said and performed already.

Until one day this release of Witnesses reached me. It opened up my ears back again. How? Besides the traditional doom trademarks like the powerful guitars and the well known compact rhythm package that accompanies the music it has more to offer.

The album tells the story of a cursed plague-bearing ship that finds landfall at one unfortunate village. 

It's a good batch of feelings that shines at the right moments. The music becomes more sensible. Finetuned melodies find their way into the sound giving it a broken touch. It feels like the own sensible emotional world of a human comes in to bring a own color to the picture.

All tracks are total longplayers. You can easily loose yourselves a bit in them.
Happily they are not too long to become boring or make you skip easily.

There's a need for concentration but at the same time it's also headbang-compatible material so there's still enough fun and heavyness inside. Much dedication and detail-work can be heard. Sometimes you can find your own feelings in works of musicians. That's what happened at least to me with this release.

My faves are the opener "On this Black Ocean" for the epic feelings and "Worse with time" for the heavier side.

It's a independent release. Please consider a purchase of this directly through
the band's Bandcamp page. It's available as a download for just one dollar or more.

Keep in touch with Witnesses through Facebook or the growing popular platform Instagram.